House of Ash and Shadow

Leia Stone — 2024

From USA Today bestselling author Leia Stone, House of Ash and Shadow is the first book in the addictive Gilded City series, about a girl who must battle curses, dark powers, and her own heart. This world of dazzling fae magic and romantic pining is perfect for fans of Wednesday and Holly Black. Seventeen-year-old Fallon Bane was born with a devastating curse: a single touch from another person will cause her excruciating pain. Thus, she has accepted that she will die without ever being kissed, without even hugging her own father, though it breaks her heart every day. But when her beloved father falls ill, she breaks into the magical Gilded City to find a healer fae that can save him. When handsome healer Ariyon Madden agrees to help, everything she knows about herself and her curse changes. Because during her father's healing, Ariyon reaches out and touches her bare skin. She waits for the agony... but it never comes. For the first time in her life, she imagines a new future for herself. However, that fantasy is quickly destroyed, because not only does Ariyon flee from her in disgust when he learns of her curse; he also reveals her existence to powerful fae who want to hurt her. Fallon is then swept away to a magical academy, where she learns the terrifying truth about her family history and her dark magic. Her life and the future of fae everywhere hang in the balance, and all the while Fallon can't help but wonder if she will get to touch Ariyon Madden one more time before she dies... This enchanting story of family, fae, and yearning is perfect for readers who love: Romantic fantasy books for teens Unputdownable & bingeworthy novels Magical boarding schools Grumpy sunshine romance Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas

Reviews

nay@pagesofnay

Apr 20, 2024

*3.5* House of Ash and Shadow had the potential to be a 5 star read. The storyline was intriguing, but the execution was not the best. The writing was not the best, but I was able to ignore it to enjoy the book. I think this is a good book for those interested in getting into the fantasy genre. It’s interesting and fun, while being quick and easy to read. Starting with what I enjoyed, the characters! The characters and story were probably the only thing that made me keep reading. Yanric was the best character, his murderous personality was very funny. Fallon was a great character, but I understand why some would call her whiny. However, I get why she is that way. She’s been forced to live a very isolating life, I’d probably be whiny too. Eden is such a good friend to Fallon and I enjoyed their friendship so much. I’m not big on love triangles, especially with brothers. It just doesn’t appeal to me. I also feel like it was very unnecessary here??? Like we all knew there was only one choice and it was very obvious. The ending left me feeling conflicted. On one hand, I thought it was such an interesting concept. On the other, it was so confusing. I will be reading the next book since I actually enjoyed this one and cannot wait to see how this story plays out. Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Elaina Wells@fangirlnerd2001

Nov 4, 2023